"... that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD;" - Deut 28:58
In the Hebrew understanding, a name was more than just the label that identified a person. A name represented that person. It described him. In Genesis 17:5, God changed Abram's name to Abraham, which means "father of a multitude." Solomon's name means, "His peace," the name God gave him before he was born:
"Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days." - 1 Chron 22:9
The names of God in the Bible are always purposefully placed. Isaiah specifically chose which name of God to use based on the prophet's purpose in the passage. He referred to God as the "LORD of hosts" in passages that portrayed God as a warrior ready to battle His enemies. When God's heart of mercy toward Israel was the focus, Isaiah would call Him, the "Lord YHWH" translated "Lord GOD" in the King James (or sometimes "Sovereign Lord" in other versions). YHWH, the name of God given to Moses, means, "I AM." As opposed to all the gods of the nations, YHWH is the God who actually IS.
God is serious about His name. The Third Commandment (Exo 20:7) warns us not to take His name in vain, no joking about it. The enemies of God speak wickedly against him and take his name in vain (Psalm 139:20). Jesus understood this well when his disciples asked him to teach them how to pray; he told them, "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name." -Matt 6:9
The Hebrews held the name YHWH in great honor. So much so that they stopped speaking it in common practice, even to this day. In the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, YHWH is generally replaced with kyrios, that is, "Lord", to prevent the name of God from being thrown about loosely, as though it were a common thing. The King James translators continued this practice by translating YHWH as "The LORD" with LORD in all capitals to indicate the name there was originally YHWH and not simply the Hebrew word adonai – "lord." The name of YHWH was used so rarely, in fact, that the exact pronunciation has been lost.
A good name is to be chosen over great riches, Solomon tells us in Proverbs 22:1, and God treasures His.
There is a shift in the New Testament, as God the Father demonstrates His love and goodness and mercy by sending His Son to save a lost world. Jesus tells his disciples to do things in his name, not to detract from the Father, but to bring Him glory.
"And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." - John 14:13
Jesus is the Son of God. He tells Philip in John 14:9, "he that hath seen me hath seen the Father." If you want to know what God is like, look at His Son. The honor and glory of God go to the Son, and the name of the Son is as worthy as the name of the Father.
Paul wrote to the church at Philippi:
"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." -Phil 2:9-11
Paul is equating Jesus Christ with YHWH at that point, directly referencing Isaiah 45:23.
Jesus Christ is the King of the Universe. At his name people are healed (Acts 3:6-7). At his name demons flee(Acts 16:16-18). He is the Son of Man (Dan 7:13, Matt 26:64 ) and the Son of God (John 11:4). He is the Rock, The Good Shepherd (John 10:11), the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Rev 17:14). May God be blessed for his goodness toward us, for "God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved" (John 3:17).
That is who Jesus is. Let us treat his name with the reverence we would the Almighty God who parted the Red Sea, for it pleases God and brings Him glory when we do so.
"Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." - Proverbs 18:21
Related Links:
• What's In A Name? - Koinonia House